I am a settler on this land but have spent the past couple of years
supporting indigenous battles against new oil pipelines. These are the
front lines of the struggle to end the desecration of Mother Earth, the
catastrophes of climate change, and the ongoing genocidal occupation of
Indigenous lands that makes that all possible.

Across the
continent, Big Oil is pushing a massive new network of oil and gas
infrastructure, retooling in a desperate attempt to extract the dirtiest
fuels on the planet and squeeze the last few drops of profit out of an
era that clearly needs to end. Without exception, these projects
threaten tribal lands, and without exception, they face bold Indigenous
resistance.

A historic new chapter in this story is now unfolding on the Standing
Rock Sioux Reservation. Thousands of people from hundreds of tribes and
First Nations have gathered in solidarity to stop construction of the
Dakota Access pipeline. I am one of the organizers helping to leverage
resources and coordinate the campaign, and every day I hear from allies
across the continent asking how to support the movement.

Our next scheduled meeting will be on Thursday, November 10, at 7:00 PM in the Emma Ramsey Center, Milton, NH. There will not be a guest speaker. The meeting is open and all are welcome to attend. We'll go over election results, talk about local upcoming events, make plans for the rest of 2016, and firm up some plans for 2017. See you there!

"We are truly a grassroots organization, and we know how to make a
little go a long way! That said, Strafford County is a uniquely
important voting ground within the state, and New Hampshire is a key
state in national elections.Because of this, every little bit matters. Donations and support can literally make a world of difference." How you can help »

Time to choose! Turnout has been high today at the Old Town Hall. There are lines at the polls, so be prepared for that. Poll workers are working very quickly and efficiently, so inconvenience is at a minimum. The polls opened at eight and will close tonight at seven. Please if you have not already, vote today. Plenty of time left.

Fall is here and with the upcoming elections New
Hampshire is bustling with political activity. Our first in the Nation
and battleground State status makes us the center of attention and gives
NH residents the privilege of being able to affect the outcome of the
upcoming Presidential Elections.

The Fall Social for the
Strafford County Democratic Committee is scheduled to be hosted at the
Governors Inn in Rochester. October 9th at 5:30 PM. Please mark your
calendars.

The Keynote Speaker will be Congressman Michael
Capuano, MA 7th District! We are looking forward to a night of great
speakers and a chance to catch up with your democratic colleagues in the
county. You can see Congressman Michael Capuano's history at http://capuano.house.gov/.

There will be hearty hors d'oeuvres from the kitchen of the Governors Inn.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and NHDP staffers, $5 under 12, infants free.

If you know of anyone that would like to Sponsor the event or to buy a
full or half page advertisement in the Program please contact us here.

Sponsorships are $100.

A full page ad is only $200 and $100 for a half page ad in the program.

Free State Project members running for political office often hide
or deny their FSP affiliation.

Granite State Progress’ Free State Project Watch
exposes those connections.

Concord, NH – Today Granite State Progress is
releasing a list of more than 30 Free State Project members running for the New
Hampshire state legislature, including two State Senate candidates and dozens
of House candidates.

“Granite
State Progress has been tracking the Free State Project and its
influence since 2008, paying particular attention to Free Stater
activity in elections and legislation,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director of Granite State Progress.
“Free State Project members running for political office often hide or
deny their FSP affiliation from voters and downplay their extreme
beliefs when asked. To challenge this, Granite State Progress researches
and compiles a list of Free State Project candidates running for office
so voters know about the extreme affiliation of those candidates.”New
Hampshire’s role started more than a decade ago when the ultra-extreme
Free State Project voted on a state to move 20,000 libertarians to with
the stated purpose to take over state government and dismantle it, and
New Hampshire was the unlucky recipient of that vote. The Free State
Project seeks to create a libertarian “utopia” void of public
infrastructure and common laws, and to use their numbers to dramatically
change New Hampshire. The Free State Project even threatens to secede
from the rest of the country once it meets its initial goals:

"Once we’ve taken over the
state government, we can slash state and local budgets, which make up a
sizeable proportion of the tax and regulatory burden we face every day.
Furthermore, we can eliminate substantial federal interference by refusing to
take highway funds and the strings attached to them. Once we’ve accomplished
these things, we can bargain with the national government over reducing the
role of the national government in our state. We can use the threat of
secession as leverage to do this." - Announcement:The Free State Project by
Founder Jason Sorens

To
date, the Free State Project has recruited more than 20,000 people to sign the
pledge to move to New Hampshire, hitting their goal to “Trigger the Move"
– all those who signed up are supposed to start moving once the agreed upon
goal was met. More than 2,015 people have already moved.

“Free State Project members sign a
pledge to move to New Hampshire and work to change the way of life in our
state. They do not move here for a job, or for family, or even because they
like what New Hampshire has to offer. Instead, they move here because a
political group they are affiliated with voted on a state to move to and take
over, and New Hampshire is the unlucky recipient of that vote,” Rice Hawkins said. “It is
not surprising that so many Free Staters run for public office. Free State Project
members uproot their families and move to New Hampshire purely to enact a
political agenda, and running for office only further helps them reach that
goal. Local communities who have dealt with them first-hand know how extreme
their ideology can be, and that’s why we’ve seen push back from both
Republicans and Democrats to expose them.”

The Free State Project candidate list is part of the Free State
Project Watch of Granite State Progress, and can be found online at https://freestateprojectwatch.org/.
The website includes the candidate list as well as individual candidate profiles.

Granite State Progress released
similar candidate lists in 2012 and 2014. Members of the media and public are
encouraged to ask FSP candidates whether they disclose their Free State Project
affiliation in campaign materials and if not, why.

###

Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of
immediate state and local concern. Granite State
Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive
community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive
solutions to critical community problems.